Rotatable stock chute



Jan. 30, l923.

T E E H s s T E E H s 2 E WL Hmm cql Kl Km2 MTE, msm .T Wmo .TE An. MF RA W. CLARK. ROTATABLE STOCK CHUTE.

FILED JUNE 2, 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 A T TRA/EV'S.

patente-d dan, 30, i923.

VILLIAM CLARK, OF PETROLIA, CALIFORNIA.

ROTATABLE STOCK CHUTE.

Application filed lune 2, 1921. Serial No. 474,412.

To all 'whom it 'maw concern.:

Be it known that l. illumini CLARK, a citizen ot the llnited States, residing at Petrolia, in the county oit Humboldt and State oi Ca .;oiiiia, have invented new and uselniproveinents in lotatable Stock Chutes, ot which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to animal husbandry apparatus.

The object ot this invention is to aiiord a means whereby calves, small cattle, and other animals can be securely held while being earmarked or tattooed, branded, vacci.- nated. or surgically treated, within an apparatus which is closed on the animal while the latter is in a standing position and then is rotated to a horizontal position in which the animal can be worked upon while lying on its side.

l-lieretotore in branding and otherwise handling cattle. particularly where large numbers are handled, it has been customary to rope calves and cattle and to throw them to the `around. This usually caused considerable exertion by the nien engaged and resulted in exciting', overheating and bruising the cattle, which latter conditions are always undesirable, particularly -when branding or surgery is contemplated.

Various forms oit' apparatus to hold and throw the cattle have been devised, but all such have been awkward to handle or have only partly reduced the struggling action of the animal. rlhe present invention makes it possible to drive or lead an animal to the position where the forward haiic is quietly enclosed by the apparatus. The animal is rotated into a position in which struggling is reduced to a. minimum because its rear t'eet cannot engage any part ot the apparatus against which to push or kick. This is not possible where the animal is laid on the ground or is secured to a platform resting on the ground.

rl`he present invention likewise provides for holding the animal securely by apparatus which embraces the forward halt and chest portion but leaves the rear and one tlank open and exposed for 'branding and surgery and unincumbered by ropes, beams 1or other parts ot the apparatus. This arrangement thus facilitates the movements of the persons periorming the branding or surgery.

One embodiment of the invention specilically designed for handling calves is described and claimed in the following speciiication and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in w ich:

Figure l is a perspective drawing of the animal chute in the upright position, as seen trom the rear and to the right looking forward, or in the direction that the animal is driven into the chute;

Figure 2 is a perspective drawing of an extension to be attached to the short or hinged side ot` the chute, to be used when the larger animals are being handled; and

Figure 3 is a perspective drawing ot the animal chute in the rotated position l'rom the saine point oit view as in Figure-1 showing the short or hinged side closed up as it would be when the same engages the animal and the latter is in position to be worked upon.

- Similar numerals throughout the drawings indicate similar parts.

il side 3, made up of horizontal slats et fastened to upright ribs or posts 5, 6, 7 and S, .is mounted adjacent a platform l, supported on sills 2. in the specific embodiment here disclosed, the side 3 is approximately 8 feet long, and the top of the upper slat approximately il: feet above the platform l. ifixle 9 is fastened to the back 01"' side 3 about 18 inches above the plattform l, this axle being mounted in bearings l0 and l1 on posts l2 und 13. The hinged side 11i is about 32 inches long, extending from post 1G to post 18, is o' the same height as side 8, and is made up ot horizontal slats 'fastened to the ribs or posts 16, l and 18side la ieing hinged at joints 19 and 20 and connected to the long side 3 at the bottom by the single tie 2l and the double tie 22, these ties 2l and 22 being-rigidly attached to the bottom ot ribs 'T and 8 of side The stanchion 22% is fastened to side 3 at rib S, while stanchion 24E is hinged at 25 to the double tie Yoltes 26 and 27 are cut in stanchions 23 and 9A respectively.

Means tor operating the apparatus is provided by a rope 28 operating over sheave 29 in stanchion Q-l and is used to close yoltes 26 and 2T by drawing` the stanchion 2l over toward the stanchion 23. Similarly a rope 30, operating over sheaves 3l and 32, is used to draw the side le over toward the side 3. A handle 33' is secured. b y post 7., said post rio being about l Yfeel' long, and serving lo nianipulate the rotatable side 5l. 1n the ribs or posts 16, 17 and 1S are bolt holes 34; and their purpose being explained below. The holes 35 are located s0 as to lie within the space between the two bottoni slats of side 111-,

n extension rib 36, shown in Figure f2, is used when larger animals are being handled. and is about (l inches wide and is tastened to the extension arms 39 and 410 by means of bolts -ll and ile, the said extension arms 39 and et() being attached to the back of side 14C by bolts el and 42 inserted in holes Se and 35, as shown in Figures l and The curved tace of the extension rib 36, when the extension is attached to the chute, lies in the saine surface as the inside :tace oit side 1l, and blocks 37 and lill out the distance between the bach ot 36 and the extension arms 259 and 40. lllhile a chute oit the approximate dimensions here given is suitable 'lier calves. it will be undeY Lood, of course, that the size will be moifnried to suit trie animals being handled.

ln using this apparatus, it is placed at the end ot' a narrow passage leading Yfrom asinall corral, side 3 being directly in line with one side ot the passage, and the opposide side ot the passage being continued up to side le.

T he ca-lit is driven from the corral 'through the narrow passage into the chute in the direction indicated by arrow head passes between and through the stanchions i233 and 2l, the stanchion 2l is pulled over toward stanchion 23 by a man stationed directly behind post who pulls down on rope 28, thus closing yokes 2G and 2T around the calts neck. t the seme time that stanchion 24: is pulled offer. the hinged or folding side is pulled over toward side 3 by a second man stationed behnd post 7, who pulls down on rope FS() operated over sheaves 3l and B2, thus closing the hinged or folding side ll aga-inst the side et the animal, squeezing the calf l'rem its yoke baci: to the end ot its ribs against the side E, and leaving the hip and flank liree. immediately a'l't'ir the folding side has been closed, tbe man standing behind the post 7 holdng the rope 250 taut in one hand` places the toot against the side, ol il, grasps the handle Jil?, in the other ha d, and pulls the chute orer. ln handling large calves tlie man stanrliln behind post tl nes over the top el' the chute and af' is the rhule by pulling upon stan one hand while holding rope Y the other. rlfhe axle is placed below the middle ot the height of the animalt and the handle is high, greaty lererage is secured, and the anima-l being at ence thrown oliE its feet, assists in rotating the chute by its own weight.

sides 3 and lll, with the hip and lanl en-` posed. rl he head ot the cal-t rests upon the side 3 which extendsl beyond staneliion 23. il third man immediately earniarlrs the calf as soon as the chute has been rotated, and while he is doing this a fourth man, whose duty it is to drive the calves from vthe corra-l, places a short rope around both hind legs ot the cali and pulls it back taut, and fastens it to amv convenient part ot' the tence, thus holding the rear legs secure so that the calf cannot kick. The man who has earnuirited the calf proceeds at once to the rear ot the chute, and standing behind the hips ot the animal, brands or otherwise treats or operates ou the call. rlhe rope sporten ot above is applied only when a bull calf is being handled, but the calf is so securely held by the chute itsell` that the rope is not necessary on heiter calves.

rlhe caltI having been earmarked, branded, tattooed, vaccinated, or otherwise operated upon, the chute is rotated back to the original position by the same means which rotated it to the horizontal position, again setting the animal on its feet. rii`he man at the rear et the chute then places` a small pole across the trap behind the calf, compelling it to go ahead and pass out through the front end of the chute, when the man tending the stanchions, pushing back on stanch 2l, pushes both it and the side 1e bachY to their fully open positions. ln Figure l, stanchion @il is shown partly closed in the position it assumes when the, calt is driven into the chute, being so placed to assist in quickly catching the animal.

rthe sides ot the chute are curved as shown in the drawings so that when they are closed up they torni a pocket lit-tiiig the body olf the animal. and as the bottom is thus narrowed the animal is prevented from sliding` from the chute when the chute and call are rotate'Y to the horizontal position. To prevent the calt from being bruised the inner lianes oli' the sido oit the chute may be well padded :it all places where the (fait cornes in coulant 'with the saine.

drawing" show u chute arrangeil to lfsai'e the right-hip and llanli oi the animal e'posed "brandon, but the arra igeinent i ite can obi"` r be criiiisistructed to Y se the sides and allow the chute to rotaie in the opposite direction and permit hranciling on the left side or hip.

The apparatus ot this invention has made it possible to handle cattle with unusual dispatch, lllith the number of nien `herein- Cil iaaaeei before mentioned to operate the machine, it has been possible to brand and operate on calves at the rate of forty calves per hour. 1t has been possible to vaccinate calves at such a rate that they are not in the chute much longer than one minute each. In all treatments the cattle enter the chute in a cool condition. and do not have time to get overheated. These conditions were substantially impossible heretofore, where they were. roped, thrown to the ground and bruised. Treatments are expedited because there. is no part of the apparatus to inter- 'ere with the movements of the person performing the branding or surgical operation.

I claim:

1. In an animal chute, a support an-d a side member rotatably journaled in said support and having rigid mea-ns to secure an animal thereto, said means being pivotally supported at one end by the side member the journal being located at approximately half the height ot' the animal, said side member and securing means together forming an animal holding device, lthe portion thereof normally adjacent the rear feet of the animal being bottomless and the lower edge of said side member adjacent said bottomless portion being free from any lateral projection extendingy toward said securing means or into the space between said side member and said securing means.

2. 1n an animal chute, a support, a side member rotatably7 journaled in said support and having rigid clamping means to secure an animal thereto, said means being pivotally supported at one end by the side member, said securing means rigidly confining the neck and front half of the body of the animal and the rearmost part of said clamping means being opposite the middle of said side member, leaving the head, and one side of the flank and hip exposedv and accessible, the journal being located at approximately half the height of the animal, and means for applying a turning force to the side member, said side member and securing means together forming an animal holding device, the portion thereof normally adjacent the rear feet of the animal being bottomless and the lower edge of said side member adjacent said bottomless portion being `free from any lateral projection extending toward said securing means or into the space between said side member and said securing means.

In an animal chute. a support, a side member rotatably journaled in said support at a height substantially one-half that of the animal and means to secure an animal thereto, comprising a neck yoke, one element thereof being rigidly attached to the side member, the other being pivotally supported adjacent the side member, and means for closing the two yoke elements upon each other to grip the neck of the animal therebetween, saidmeans comprising a cable and sheave, a curved body-holding member also pivotally supported by the side member having a forward clamping portion positioned adjacent said neck yoke and a rearmost clamping portion adapted to engage the middle portion of the trunk of an animal, and in-dependent means for moving the bodyholding member toward the side member.

t. In an animalchute, a support, a side member rotatably' journaled in said support at a height substantialy one-half that of the animal and means to secure an animal thereto, comprising a neck yoke, one element thereof being rigidly attached. to the side member, the other being pivota-lly supported adjacent the side member, means for closing the two yoke elementsupon each other to grip the neck of the animal therebetween, and a body-holding element also pivotally supported adjacent the side member, the animal-holding means thus formed being bottomless at the rear thereof in the region adjacent the rear feet of the animal and clear of any part projecting into the space between said side member and said securing means and independent means for closing the said body-holding element against the side member, to grip the forward half of the body of the animal, said closing means com' prising a cable and sheave mounted respectively on the body-holding element and the side member, the cable being secured to the body-holding element, passing thence around the sheave on the side member, back to and around the sheave on the body-holding element, and again to the other side, whereby a greatly increased force for closing the body-holding element against the side member is obtained.

5. In an animal chute, a support, a side member rotatably ournaled in said support, at a height substantially one-half that of the animal, and rigid means to secure the animal thereto, said means comprising a plurality of cross beams `rigidly secured to the bottom of the side member near its forward end only and projecting therefrom and means for securing the forward half o the animal to the side member, said means being pivotally secured to the far ends of said cross beams.

6. In an animal chute, a support, a side member rotatably journaled in said support at a height substantially one-half that of the animal, and fastening means to secure the animal to said side member, said'means comprising combined support and clamp means, said support means comprising a plurality of cross beams rigidly secured to the bottom of the side member near its forward end only and projecting therefrom, and leaving the rest of the bottom of said rotatable member entirely free and unobstructeil, and said vlamp means exlemlinp; only alom,r the 'ferr-:ard portion or the side mei bei' for securing the forward half of the animal to the side member, and being pivotally seeiuefl to the fai' ends of said cross beams.

T. In an animal chute, a support, a side member rotaiably journalefl in said support at a. height substantially one-half that of the animal` :mil fastening' means to secure the animal to saiil side member, said means Comprisingl (.'Onibinedl support and clamp means, said support means comprising a plurality of Cross beams rigidly securecll to the bottom of the side member near its forward end only an@- projecting therefrom, and

leaving the rest of the bottom ol sani rotatable member entirely 'l'ree and unobsu'iieted, said clamp means exendng only along the forward portion of the side member for securing the 'forward half of the animal to the side member, and being pivotally secured to the far ends or said cross beams, and an extension piece removablj,T attached to the rear end of said fastening means, said extension piece comprising a body engaging member and tWo forwardly extending portions secured thereto and cletachably secured to animal (clamping means.

In 'testimony whereof I ax my signature. 

